


D4 Scooby-Doo! and the Railway Phantom!

by wsdsrdbw4096



Series: Dimension Four [3]
Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Scooby Doo Where Are You! (TV 1969)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-16 13:38:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9274448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wsdsrdbw4096/pseuds/wsdsrdbw4096
Summary: Sequel to A Coolsville Central High School story and the second instalment of my Dimension Four series.





	1. A surprise birthday party for Shaggy

**Author's note: Here's the second installment of my Dimension Four _Scooby-Doo_ series, which consists of my revision and expansion of the Hanna-Barbera canon of the franchise (SDWAY to 13GSD plus the _Superstar 10_ films), and sequel to _A Coolsville Central High School Story_.**

**This story will cover my take on how the gang got the Mystery Machine, as well as the origin of the use of Scooby Snacks.**

**As with the prequel, this story will also feature cameo appearances of other Hanna-Barbera characters.**

**One thing to note is that all of my Scooby stories will feature the following birthdays for each of the gang:**

**Shaggy: April 27, which is also the birthday of Casey Kasem and fits my imagining of Shaggy being born in the spring**

**Daphne: August 24, which is also the birthday of Grey Griffin and fits my imagining of Daphne being born in the late-summer**

**Scooby: September 8, which is based on the original air date of TNSD Mysteries episode _Happy Birthday, Scooby Doo_ (September 8, 1984). Interestingly enough, Don Messick's birthday is September 7**

**Fred: June 30. None of the actors that has portrayed/voiced him has a birthday in the early-summer as I imagined.**

**Velma: November 12. As with Fred, none of the actresses that has portrayed/voiced her has a birthday in the late-fall as I imagined.**

**In addition, for Dimension Four, all human members of the gang are born in 1953.**

**I don't own _Scooby-Doo_. Hanna-Barbera Productions and Warner Bros. does.**

**And now presenting... _Scooby-Doo and the Railway Phantom_!**

* * *

Chapter 1: A surprise birthday for Shaggy

_April 27, 1969_

Weeks after solving the Phantom of the Library case, Mystery Inc., consisting of Frederick "Fred" Jones, Velma Dinkley, Daphne Blake, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers and Scoobert "Scooby" Doo, has officially began to make their names in Coolsville.

They have became quite popular in school, and their mystery-solving club also attracted several students' interest.

Among the students interested in their mystery-solving club includes the Mysteries Five, Henry Chan, Josie and the Pussycats, Augie Anderson, April Stewart, their dog Elmo, Skip Gilroy, the Neptunes, the Teen Angels, Mark Bell, Tinker Luther, Debora "Debbie" Golonka, Ted Dickinson, Tina Jackson, their dog Goober and Gillie Schell.

Every Friday afternoon, the club will meet together to discuss a mystery story and try to crack the case by piecing together the clues and find out the culprit and motive.

It was a fun way for the students to spend their Friday afternoons, although at times the mood can get a little competitive as the students, in groups, tries to solve the mystery first.

In spite of the competition, everyone in the club remained good friends, even with Shelly Sanders or Alexandra Cabot, both are whom are known for their vain and spoiled personalities.

That morning, Shaggy woke up at almost nine as usual and went through his usual routine of washing his face and brushing his teeth at the nearby washroom before returning to chance into his normal attire of a green shirt, brown pants and black sneakers.

As he made his way to the dining room, he thought that the house was awfully quiet before remembering that he didn't see Scooby still sleeping at his usual spot in his bedroom.

He saw no one in the living room, nor did he see anyone in the kitchen and dining room.

"Mom? Dad?" Shaggy called out. "Maggie? Scoob?"

He went to search the whole house, starting first with the basement before moving to his parents' bedroom.

The bedroom was empty, and the bed looked like as if no one has slept on it for the past while.

"Like, that's strange." He thought to himself. "Mom and Dad aren't in their bedroom, nor are they anywhere else. I swear that I saw them entering their bedroom last night, and there's no way Pops will leave for work on a Sunday unless he's got an emergency to handle, but even then, that doesn't explain why Mom isn't here She never leaves the house without waking Maggie, me and Scoob."

Thinking, he decided to move to Sugie's bedroom. As he left his parents' bedroom, he didn't notice the calendar date.

In his sisters bedroom, Shaggy looked around. It was tidy, and her bed looked like as if she never slept on it the night before.

As he scanned his surroundings, his eyes came upon a note stuck on the closet doors.

"What's this?" He wondered as he took the note from the door.

It read: "Your sister is safely guarded in our place, Norville. Come to the Food Depot and you'll understand."

"Like, the Food Depot?" Shaggy asked himself. "It hasn't have a store branch in the neighbourhood and the nearest one is like across the city and takes a 30-minute drive. Not to mention that I haven't turned..."

He paused at mid-sentence when he remembered something and glanced at the nearby calendar.

"April 27!" He exclaimed. "I'm turning 16 today! After today, I'll be able to get my drivers license."

He then took another look at the note as he remarked, "So today's my 16th birthday, but where is everybody? And how could someone expect me to get to the Food Depot if he/she knew that I can't even drive to the nearest store branch?"

Then, it hit him.

"There's no way he/she asked me to drive there, so the food depot must be somewhere closer." He reasoned. "A place where the food is stored must be...the refridgerator!"

Immediately, he headed for the kitchen just as a shadowed figure walked out from the back door.

In the kitchen, he went for the refrigerator and spotted a note he didn't remember seeing when he was there earlier.

"Like, this note wasn't here when I searched the kitchen earlier!" He remarked. "Someone must be here recently, and I think I know why!"

He looked at the note and read, "Great work! If you're reading this note, then you knew that today's your birthday and you must be wondering where everyone is. Sugie and Scooby are in the Shaggy Snack Factory while your parents are in good company at the Industrialists Corner."

Puzzled, Shaggy scratched his chin as he scanned the note once more.

"Like, Shaggy Snack Factory?" He wondered. "I didn't know someone will produce a Shaggy Snack, and what's that anyways?"

Shrugging, he continued, "And Industrialists Corner...sounds like a hangout for industrialists, and the only industrialist I know is George Robert Nadley Blake, Daph's father! A hangout...some place like a club or even his home, and the handwriting of this note looks familiar..."

Scanning the note again, Shaggy thought something clicked in his mind, which travelled back to one of the more recent days where he, Scooby and Daphne studied together while waiting for Fred and Velma.

He remembered seeing Daphne writing stuff down on a sheet of paper, and the handwriting from her notes looks identical to the one on the note he's reading at the moment.

"This looks like Daph's handwriting!" He snapped his fingers. "And a snack for me...like, Daph has whipped something up for me before and...that's it! The 'Shaggy Snack Factory' must be the kitchen at her place, which may also be where Mom, Dad and Scoob are!"

Without further adieu, Shaggy quickly grabbed his house keys, closed and locked the front and back doors before making his way to the Blake Mansion across the street.

When he arrived at the front door, he ringed the doorbell and within seconds, the door opened, revealing the familiar-face of Jenkins Pennyworth, the Blake family butler.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Rogers." The butler said. "I see that you're up early this morning."

"Good morning, Jenkins." Shaggy smiled. "Like, is Maggie and Scooby here? I received a message saying that they might be here."

"I see." Jenkins nodded. "Right this way then, sir."

The butler then lead the way before reaching the doorway to the main living room, which appeared to be dark.

"Wait here, Mr. Rogers." Jenkins says before taking his leave.

Shaggy did as he was told, but a few moments later, the main hallway went dark in a sudden.

"Zoinks!" He exclaimed. "Who turned off the lights?"

Just then, he could hear several ghostly-sounding laughters.

"Like, what's that?" He asked as he looked around nervously.

Just then, he spotted two glowing phantoms, one of them looking like the Green Hornet and the other looking like Kato moving towards him.

"Norville Rogers!" The Green Hornet's ghost hollered. "You've watched too much television, particularly my shows! Give me and Kato a break, will you?"

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed in fright as he backed towards the front door, only to bump into a female ghost standing behind him, who wrapped her arms around him.

Swallowing, he turned and spotted the ghost of Cleopatra as she hissed, "Shaggy Rogers! Work harder in your history class! Your low mark in ancient Egyptian history will not be tolerated!"

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed as he teared himself free and raced into the dark living room, where he tripped over something and landed on the couch.

"Oh...I'd better hide before those three ghosts get me!" He thought. "They must have grabbed Maggie and Scooby!"

However, as he picked himself up, the lights suddenly switched on, revealing...

"Surprise!" Everyone in the living room, all sporting birthday hats, exclaimed.

"Happy birthday, Shaggy!" Fred said as everyone cheered.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy smiled and chuckled. "I didn't realize that we're having the party here!"

"Well, Daphne insisted in having your sixteenth birthday at her place, Norville." Sugie said as she and Scooby went over to him.

"Maggie! Scooby!" Shaggy exclaimed as he went to hug his sister and pat Scooby. "Like, I thought something happened to you two and Mom and Pops!"

"Oh, they're all right, Norville." Sugie smiled as she looked up to her brother. "Mom and Dad planned this all out with Uncle George and Aunt Elizabeth, and the rest of the gang."

"That's right, Shaggy." The ghost of Cleopatra, unmasking herself and revealing Daphne's face, said as she joined them.

"Oh, Daphne." Shaggy smiled as he went over to give his friend a long hug. "You almost fooled me with that Cleopatra ghost disguise."

"I hope I didn't scare you, Shaggy." Daphne said as she smiled.

"Ah, not really." Shaggy says as the other two ghosts unmasked themselves, revealing Alan Fredericton of Josie and the Pussycats, who was dressed as the Green Hornets ghost, and Henry Chan dressed as the ghost of Kato. "I knew it was part of my surprise birthday party all along."

"Yeah, sure you know." Velma commented as Shaggy chuckled at his remark.

"Come, Shag." Daphne said as she lead him, Sugie and Scooby to the kitchen. "The real surprise is in the kitchen."

"Oh, what is it, Daph?" Shaggy asked eagerly.

"Just wait and see, Shaggy." Daphne smiled mysteriously before grabbing Shaggy's hand and slowly leads him to the kitchen.

Shaggy simply smiled and nodded as Daphne leads him to the kitchen, can't waiting to see what that surpise is.

* * *

**Wonder what surprise Daphne has in store for Shaggy?**

**The only thing I can say is...stay tuned, and please read and review!**


	2. The surprise, birthday cake and gifts

Chapter 2: The surprise, the birthday cake, and gifts

Daphne soon lead Shaggy into the kitchen as Sugie and Scooby followed close behind.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed as he entered the kitchen. "I don't believe it!"

On the kitchen counter were dozens of tall, skyscraper-high Shaggy sandwiches with everything he likes.

"Surprise, Shaggy!" Daphne smiled. "I've made dozens of your favourite Shaggy Snack sandwiches!"

"Shaggy sandwiches?" Shaggy asked. "Like, I didn't have breakfast, so this sure can fill my appetite!"

He then turned to her and added, "Like, and thanks, Daph!"

"No problem, Shaggy." Daphne smiled as she patted her friend's back. "Happy birthday!"

"Thank you, Daph." Shaggy smiled back. "When your birthday arrives, I ought to plan a party like this for you."

"Great idea, Norville." Sugie smiled as her brother dug in. "It will be great to plan a party for Daphne."

During this time, the Blakes and the Rogers were watching their children interacting in the kitchen.

"This sure is one swell idea, George." Sam said to Daphne's father. "Letting Daphne planning and throwing this party for Norville."

"Thank you for the kind words, Sam." George smiled. "I'm glad that Norville is enjoying the party so far."

"As well as our guests." Wendy added as she watched Tom taking part in pinning the pony's tail game with everyone else looking on excitedly.

"Come on, Tom!" Reddy said. "You almost got it!"

"I'm sure you can do it, Tom." Yogi said. "I knew you're smarter than the average cat."

Tom, who is blindfolded, nodded as he continued his attempt to pin the pony's tail.

His rival Jerry was occupied with another game to try to pull a prank on Tom, plus the cat and mouse duo were under strict instructions not to cause any mess in the mansion. If they chase each other and cause a mess, then they'll be responsible for cleaning up after the party, regardless on who started the chase, something neither of them will want.

Soon came the moment for the birthday cake, which had sixteen candles lit.

"Alright, Shag." Fred said. "The birthday cake's ready."

"Coming!" Shaggy said as he raced over to the dining room, where everyone gathered around him.

Spike the bulldog, seeing everyone ready, snapped his fingers to signal the _Mysteries Five_ to start playing their instruments while Shelly turned off the lights, leaving only the candle lights in the dark dining room.

With the music played by the _Mysteries Five_ in the background, everyone started singing:

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Shaggy...happy birthday to you!"

During the singing, Daphne placed her hand on Shaggy's left shoulder, and after the singing, Velma encouraged, "Make a wish, Shaggy!"

There was a pause, then Shaggy blew out all of the candles, leading to a cheer and applause while the lights returned on.

"Happy birthday, Shag." Fred patted his friend's back. "What did you wish for?"

"Like, for my wish of becoming a medical doctor to come true." Shaggy replied as he was given a slice of the birthday cake.

"Wow." Daphne said. "I'm sure your wish will come true, Shag. I know you have the heart and ambitions to work hard, not to mention your friendly, easy-going personality fits the profile of a doctor well."

"Thanks, Daph." Shaggy smiled before taking a bite.

After the birthday cake, it was time for Shaggy to open his birthday presents.

"Here, Shaggy." Henry said as he offered his present. "Open mine first."

"Okay, man." Shaggy smiled as he took the present and read the card attached to it. It read:

"From the Chan Clan: 生日快樂!"

"Wow, is that 'Happy Birthday' in Chinese?" Shaggy asked Henry as he pointed to the handwritten "生日快樂" on the card.

"Yes it is." Henry smiled before Shaggy nodded and proceeded to open his gift.

It was a series of postcards with photos taken in Hong Kong, including a handful with the city's skyline, harbour and its famous double-decker trams.

"Like, wow!" Shaggy remarked as he took a look at the postcards. "These photos of Hong Kong look really great!"

"They sure are, Shaggy." Henry nodded. "I was impressed by the drawing of a neighbourhood block in Hong Kong you did for your history project, so I thought you may like these postcards of the city."

"I do, man." Shaggy smiled as he turned to his friend. "Thanks for the postcards!"

"No problem, and happy birthday, Shag." Henry smiled back as he patted Shaggy's back.

After opening a few more other birthday presents, it was Daphne who offered her present to him last.

"Here's your present, Shaggy." She says as she offered him the wrapped gift.

"Like, what is it?" Shaggy asked as he feels the box underneath the wrap.

"You'll see when you open it, Shag." Daphne replied with a mysterious-looking smile, a smile that sort of reminded Shaggy of a ghost girl of sorts.

Smiling back, Shaggy proceeded to open the present.

Inside the gift box under the wrap, Shaggy found a stack of new musical records, including a handful Meedles records and several more classical music records, such as a brand-new recording of Mendelssohn's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A-flat Major.

**(Note: The Meedles is a fictionalized version of The Beatles, as I'm going to have stories that feature the gang meeting the famous English rock band, but this site doesn't allow the use of non-fictional characters in stories)**

"Like, wow!" Shaggy remarked as he took out the records and looked. "I've always wanted these new records of the Meedles and this new recording of the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A-flat Major for my birthday, Daph. Thanks!"

"You're very welcome, Shag." Daphne smiled as she shared an embrace with Shaggy. "Happy Birthday!"

During the interaction, Sugie turned to Scooby and remarked, "Daphne sure knows what Norville likes and wants the most."

"Reah. She rure does." Scooby agreed.

"Like, thanks Daph." Shaggy smiled back. "I really ought to plan a party like this for your birthday."

"Ah, there's no need for that, Shag." Daphne said. "Having you as a friend is good enough for me, not to mention having a cute little sister like Sugie."

Shaggy smiled as they regrouped with their friends just as his parents walked over to him.

"So what do you plan on doing before turning seventeen next year, Norville?" Sam asked his son.

"Like, besides completing Grade 10 and making it to the state finals for the gymnasium and musical competitions, I intend to get my driver's license." Shaggy replied.

"Oh, yeah!" Fred said as he remembered something. "You can get your driver's license after you turn sixteen here in California."

"Oh, you guys are lucky." Henry remarked. "In Hong Kong and other East Asian jurisdictions, you have to be eighteen in order to be able to drive."

"I guess your old friends in Hong Kong might get jealous of you being able to drive while they have to wait another two years." Alexander Cabot III said to Henry.

"Ah, I don't think so." Henry replied. "My family moved to Honolulu when I was three, so other than my relatives and perhaps a few family friends living in Hong Kong and Canton, I don't have anyone my age that will be acquainted with me back in Hong Kong."

"So when are you planning on getting your driver's license, Shag?" Mark asked.

"Perhaps sometime next month, after I complete the driver's-training program offered by the school for May." Shaggy replied before turning to his friend Sharon Wetherby, who completed the training program a few days ago for the month of April, and added. "Speaking of it, how do you find the course, Sharon?"

"It was alright." Sharon replied. "For the first two weeks, there are classroom courses that takes up an hour everyday after school, where they teach you a lot of theory, such as vehicle maintenance, insurance and rules of the road. Then comes the actual driver's training, where you'll be paired with an instructor and he or she will ask you to do some moves, such as parallel parking, three point turns and emergency pullovers."

"Sounds easy to me." Velma remarked.

"Yeah, it is." Sharon nodded. "However, it helps more if you practice often outside of instruction hours, like practicing with your parents and using their car."

"I see." Shaggy nodded understandingly. He was about to say something when Sharon continued.

"However, there's been talk lately that the school may be considering cancelling the program for the next school year." Sharon said.

"Why's that?" April asked.

"Well, I heard that the school board is dealing with a budget shortfall, and one of the casualties of the budget shortfall is the school's driver's training program." Sharon explained.

"Ripe!" Scooby remarked.

"I guess that the rest of us may have to enroll in driving school for the next school year or so." Arlene sighed.

"However, I did hear rumours that the real reason for the cancellation has something to do with low enrollment." Sharon continued. "In fact, there has been rumours that there's a Railway Phantom haunting the school's driving training grounds, spooking the students into considering enrolling elsewhere. Legend has it that the Railway Phantom was a disgruntled former student of Central that was killed in a car accident during the driver's training course due to negligence of the school staff in properly maintaining the vehicles used in the training program."

"Railway Phantom?" Shaggy swallowed. "Zoinks!"

"Oh, there's nothing to worry, Shaggy." Debbie said to him. "It's only a legend. Right, Sharon?"

"Yeah." Sharon agreed. "As far as I know, there's been no record of the school's driver's training program having an accident anyways, so there's nothing to worry about."

"I agree." Fred nodded. "Our school's driver's training program is the safest in the county, and there's no way the school staff will allow such a tragedy to occur."

"So anyways, when does your driver's training start, Norville?" Sugie asked her brother.

"Monday, May 5th." Shaggy replied. "If everything goes well, I should be able to get my license by the end of May."

"I'm sure you can do it, Shag." Fred said to his friend. "You may be a class clown at times, but we know you always have the integrity to get things done and complete your goals."

"Such as you becoming a medical doctor." Daphne added. "I know you can do it."

Shaggy nodded as he smiled at his friends.

"So now what should we do?" He asked.

"Oh yes." Daphne smiled. "Game time!"

"Oh joy!" Sugie said excitedly. "What are we playing?"

"What about capture the flag?" Alan proposed.

"That will be fun." Velma said. "I propose we divide into two major teams."

"Since you're the birthday boy, Shag, you pick who will be on your team." Fred said.

"Why, sure thing Jones." Shaggy smirked with a tone of competition in his voice, indicating that he will be the team captain of the first team while Fred is the team captain of the second one. "I'll see to it that your team's falg gets captured in less than a minute after we start each round."

"You're on!" Fred replied evenly before the two rivals proceeded to pick their teammates.

Scooby, Sugie, Daphne, Tom, Jerry, the Teen Angels, Tinker, Debbie, Henry, Mark and the _Mysteries Five_ went volunteered to be on Shaggy's team while everyone else, including Velma, the Neptunes, Josie and the Pussycats went with Fred.

* * *

That night, Shaggy lied comfortably on his bed in his bedroom, his mind still thinking about the birthday party at the Blake Mansion earlier that day.

He was grinning about his team outsmarting Fred's team in capture the flag, even remembering how he managed to devise a strategy that caught Fred's group and the blonde off guard with the use of Tom and Jerry's fighting as a distraction.

Even after he and Fred became good friends and worked well together in solving those two mysteries, there's still room for competition between the school rivals, especially when it comes to games.

Overall, he was very happy about his sixteenth birthday.

His favourite part was when he initially entered the mansion and ran into three ghosts. The most memorable part was when Daphne, in her ghostly disguise, wrapped her arms around him as if she was a vampire locating her prey and preventing him from escaping.

He also liked Daphne's surprise and birthday presents, particularly with the new records.

The redhead sure knew what he likes the most. It was as if she knew how to read his mind.

Maybe his sister was right on her observation of Daphne back when they first met.

Those thoughts continued to linger in his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In the same time in her bedroom, Daphne lied comfortably on her bed, her mind still thinking about the birthday party at the Blake Mansion earlier that day.

She was grinning about her team outsmarting Fred's team in capture the flag, even remembering how Shaggy managed to devise a strategy that caught Fred's group and the blonde off guard with the use of Tom and Jerry's fighting as a distraction.

Even after Shaggy and Fred became good friends and worked well together in solving those two mysteries, there's still room for competition between the school rivals, especially when it comes to games.

Overall, she was very happy about how Shaggy's sixteenth birthday party turned out.

Her favourite part was when she, in her ghostly disguise, wrapped her arms around Shaggy when he encountered her and the two other ghosts. It made her heart feel...rather warm, in spite of the fact of her dating Fred.

Shaggy sure liked her surprise and birthday presents, particularly with the new records.

She sure knew what he likes the most. It was as if she knew how to read his mind.

Maybe his sister was right on her observation of Daphne back when they first met.

Those thoughts continued to linger in her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	3. Driving training class and the first encounter with the Railway Phantom

Chapter 3: Driving training class and the first encounter with the Railway Phantom

_May 5, 1969_

That morning, Shaggy woke up at the usual time and went through his usual morning routine before settling down at the dining table to have breakfast.

His police chief father was seated at his usual spot reading the morning newspaper as he finishes his coffee.

As Shaggy sat in his seat, his eyes caught on the headline on the front page, which read:

"MYSTERIOUS 'SUPERMAN' APPEARS IN METROPOLIS

Flying man dressed in red and blue with red cape stops mad scientist from destroying Metropolis"

**(Note: Dimension Four also contains the _Super Friends_ franchise, as well as the 1940s _Superman_ cartoons, although the timeframe for the latter is moved to the late-1960s, in time for the 1973 _Super Friends_ series. All DC-related works for D4 also incorporates elements from the DC Animated Universe, particularly the seriousness and realism)**

"Like, mysterious 'Superman'?" Shaggy asked as he grabbed his bowl for his cereal.

"That's what the press has been calling him, Norville." Sam replied. "My contact at the Metropolis Police Department, Inspector William Henderson, told me about this flying man and he's done to the city so far. While he was been doing some good, we still don't know what his motives are and has urged his men to remain vigilant."

"Interesting." Sugie remarked before digging into her cereal.

* * *

Much of the day went by as usual for Shaggy. He had lunch with his friends and the classes were just the same for him.

Eventually, time came for him to go to his driver's training course.

On his way to the assigned classroom, he ran into Daphne as she heads for the main office for the newsletter editorial room.

"Hey Shag." She smiled. "Heading for your driving class?"

"Yeah." Shaggy replied as he stopped to chat. "Heading for the newsletter editorial room in the main office?"

"You got that right." Daphne nodded. "I've got a few deadlines to meet and Scooby's still working on the editorial cartoon."

"Like, that sure explains why I didn't see him at the lockers earlier." Shaggy remarked. "Well, anyways, have fun!"

Daphne smiled and nodded as the two friends went their separate ways.

Shaggy eventually arrived at the classroom where the driving instruction class was to take place.

He recognized a handful of classmates and the driving instructor was happy to see him in his driving class.

* * *

_May 19, 1969_

The first two weeks of the class were spent in the classroom, mainly for theory related to driving.

The class went through rules of the road and road signs, as well as symbols of the traffic signals, in addition to vehicle maintenance and insurance.

In addition, there were assignments to complete in class, and at times, the class will head outdoors for the instructor to demonstrate parts of the car.

Eventually came the on-the-road driving training Shaggy was looking forward for.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the in-the-classroom instructions, even though he had resisted the urge to fall asleep during class. It's just that he looked forward to the actual on-the-road driving training.

He occupied the 15:30 time slot for on-the-road driving, which places him after Tinker, who occupies the 14:30 time slot.

As he hangs out outside with his friends while passing the time as Tinker took part in the driving training, Shaggy looked towards the sky and remarked.

"Seems like it's going to rain later in the afternoon." He said as he took note of the dark grey clouds forming in the horizon.

"Yeah." Skip nodded. "Hopefully, it doesn't get too stormy, because I sure will hate to drive when it's raining cats and dogs."

"No kidding." Biff agreed. "It will be really difficult to see through the windshield in that kind of weather."

As he finished the remark, it started to get windy before some raindrops can be heard and felt.

Seeing the dark clouds forming above in the sky, Shaggy narrowed his eyes as he took note of the clear skies in the horizon.

"Like, the rain wouldn't last long." He said. "I can see a clearing in the distance."

"That's good." Skip said. "We wouldn't have to worry about driving in the heavy rain."

After several more minutes of discussion, Tinker has returned as the rain stopped, although it was still cloudy.

"How was it, Tinker?" Biff asked as Tinker got off the driver's seat.

"Given that this is my very first time driving a car, I have to say that you really have to focus and keep things in control if you want to be a good driver." Tinker replied. "But other than that, I thought it was alright. The instructor gives you instructions on what driving moves to do, such as doing proper turns, obeying the speed limit and road signs."

"I see." Shaggy nodded as he saw the driving instructor motioning him to get in the car.

* * *

Moments later, Shaggy was making a left turn at a curve as the instructor looked on.

"That was a brilliant turn, Mr. Rogers." The instructor complimented. "Now, at the next intersection with the stop sign, do a left turn."

Shaggy nodded as he drove on, reaching the speed limit before slowing down in time for a complete stop at the red stop sign with the left signal light flashing.

After he made the left turn, they were driving through a wooded area, during which the instructor noted that it's getting foggy.

"Turn on the headlights, Mr. Rogers." The instructor said. "It's getting foggy ahead."

"I can see that, Mr. Jaffe." Shaggy replied as he turned on the headlights before slowing down.

Soon, they approached the railway grade crossing where the fatal accident was said to have occurred years ago, during which Shaggy started to feel chilly.

"Like, is it just me or is the air conditioner is too intense?" Shaggy asked.

"That's not possible." Mr. Jaffe replied. "I didn't have the air conditioner on. Must be the weather outside that's making things chilly around here. Anyways, that grade crossing's lights are flashing now. Remember to stop."

Shaggy nodded as he slowed the car down and came to a complete stop as they waited for the train to pass through.

They waited and waited, but neither of them heard a train horn or whistle, nor did they hear anything that will suggest that a train is approaching the crossing.

"Now that's strange." Mr. Jaffe remarked. "The train should be here by now."

"Like, perhaps the signal is defective." Shaggy offered.

"That's not possible." Mr. Jaffe replied. "I had Tinker drive by here an hour ago, and the crossing signal was working just fine."

Shaggy didn't question Mr. Jaffe's remark. Everyone in class knew that he also worked at the Coolsville Central Railway as a signals technician.

"I'm going to take a look at the signalling system." Mr. Jaffe turned to Shaggy. "Stay here and don't drive off until I return. You know what to do, do you?"

"Indeed I do, sir." Shaggy nodded as he flashed the right signal light, indicating that he's going to pull the car over.

After the car was pulled over, Mr. Jaffe got off the car as he said, "I shouldn't be long."

Shaggy nodded as he watched the instructor closing the front passenger door and disappearing into the fog with his flashlight on.

A few moments went by and Shaggy checked his watch. 16:02. He's been gone for at least five minutes and they should be on their way back before 16:30.

"What's taking him so long?" Shaggy wondered to himself. "I'm sure there's a signal box around here."

Just then, he started hearing what sounded like a ghost holler.

"Zoinks!" He remarked. "What's that?"

The holler continued, then a ghostly voice hollered, "Beware!"

"Mr. Jaffe?" Shaggy shouted after rolling the window down. "Are you done?"

There was no response as the ghost holler continued.

"He's not here." Shaggy thought as he turned towards the front, in time to see a dark-looking figure standing in the fog walking towards the car.

Shaggy swallowed as the figure revealed himself through the car's headlights: A pale-looking ghost wearing rags as if he had went through a car accident and survived with serious injuries.

"Beware!" The ghostly-looking figure hollered as he walked towards the car. "I have come back from my grave for revenge! Anyone who crosses into the Railway Phantom' territory will die!"

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed as he started the engine, shifted the car to reverse and then stomped onto the gas pedal, forgetting about Mr. Jaffe's instructions.

The ghostly figure attempted to chase, but Shaggy managed to back the car further away from it, where he then shifted the car to drive, did a three-point turn and then drove off in the opposite direction, only for him to get the car wheels stuck in a ditch.

Seeing the ghostly figure behind him, he quickly shut off the engine, got off the car and raced away from the scene before the ghost could grab him.

* * *

A few minutes later, back at the school's side entrance, Tinker, Biff and Skip were waiting with Scooby and Daphne. Then, they heard someone running and panicking.

"Jeepers! Someone's having quite the run!" Daphne remarked. She and Scooby had finished handing in their assignments at the school paper's editorial room and decided to meet Shaggy after he finished his driving training.

"And look who it is!" Tinker added as he gestured towards the source of the noise, in time for all of them to see Shaggy racing down the driveway before coming to a stop at the entrance.

"It's Shaggy!" Biff said as Shaggy catch his breath. "He raced all the way from wherever he was!"

"What happened, Shaggy?" Skip asked.

"And where's Mr. Jaffe?" Tinker added.

"Like, you guys wouldn't believe what I just saw." Shaggy replied as he walked towards his friends.

"Was it a ghost, Shaggy?" Daphne asked, judging from the look on his face.

Shaggy shook his head. "It was the Railway Phantom! Mr. Jaffe and I drove by the nearby railway grade crossing when the signals started flashing. However, no train showed up, so he got off and went to inspect. But then, this creepy, ghostly-looking guy wearing rags with pale skin shows up and I didn't see Mr. Jaffe anywhere."

"Ripe!" Scooby exclaimed in fright.

"Jeepers!" Daphne agreed.

"What did the ghost say?" Tinker asked.

"Like, he warned me to stay away from the area and that anyone who trespasses on his 'territory' will die." Shaggy replied as Fred and Velma joined them. "I tried to drive back to the school, but then the car got stuck in a ditch, so I made a run for it."

"Can you get us to the grade crossing where you spotted him, Shag?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, sure." Shaggy nodded. "It's not actually that far from here."

"First thing we're going to do is to find Mr. Jaffe!" Biff said. "He could be in danger with that ghost haunting the area."

Everyone nodded in agreement before following Shaggy's lead.

* * *

**Uh oh. It looks like the gang's got another mystery in their hands!**

**Please read and review!**


	4. We've got a mystery in our hands

Chapter 4: We've got a mystery in our hands

It didn't take long for the gang to reach the grade crossing where Shaggy encountered the Phantom.

The car was still stuck in the ditch, just as Shaggy left it, although it was clear that it was spray-painted.

"Jinkies, you sure weren't kidding when you mentioned that the ghost threatened you, Shag." Velma remarked.

"Yeah." Biff nodded as he read the black-coloured "GET OUT" spray-painted message on the windshield. "Whoever did this clearly didn't want anyone near the area."

"But why?" Tinker asked. "Why keep us away from the woods here?"

"Well, I think we should find Mr. Jaffe first then we'll try to figure out the answer, gang." Fred said as they walked over to the grade crossing.

"The signal's not flashing." Shaggy observed. "Maybe Mr. Jaffe somehow managed to fix it, or it was functioning normally and a train passed by earlier, which isn't possible, since I don't remember hearing a train passing by and I'm pretty sure we can hear a train passing by from Central."

"Indeed, Shag." Velma nodded. "Based on what you said, the signal's must be defective when you were there and Mr. Jaffe must've fixed it."

"But where is he?" Daphne asked as they looked around near the tracks, taking care not to be too close to them.

The gang looked around as they called out the instructor's name.

"Mr. Jaffe?" Shaggy called out. "Are you there?"

There was no response as they continued searching.

"I don't think he's around." Fred replied.

"Maybe Scooby can sniff him out." Velma suggested.

"Like, I hope there's something on the car that has his scent." Shaggy said as they followed Scooby to the car.

Soon, the group reached the car and Scooby sniffed the front passenger seat, where Mr. Jaffe was seated at.

"You got his scent, Scooby?" Daphne asked.

Scooby nodded as he sniffed the area before picking up the trail near the grade crossing.

Seeing Scooby moving fast, the others know that the Great Dane had picked up a scent and rushed to follow him.

After what seemed like miles of running along the tracks, they finally found Mr. Jaffe, who appeared to be dazed and was slumped by what appeared to be a signal box.

"Mr. Jaffe!" Shaggy exclaimed just as the driving instructor came to his senses.

"Huh?" Mr. Jaffe asked as he managed to see the kids looking at him. "Mr. Rogers? What are you doing here?"

"We were searching for you, Mr. Jaffe." Tinker said as they gathered around Mr. Jaffe and helped him up. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Mr. Jaffe rubbed his forehead. "I was busy inspecting the signal box then something hit me in the back of the head. Then, well, that was it."

"Like, while you were checking the signal box, this creepy-looking ghost showed up and tried to grab me!" Shaggy said. "He warned me to stay away from the area and I got the car stuck in a ditch while trying to get away."

"Wait, you saw the Railway Phantom?" Mr. Jaffe asked. "That's insane! It's only a legend!"

"Well, whatever it is, it wasn't kidding when it warned Shag to stay out, Mr. Jaffe." Biff said. "The car was spray-painted with a message warning us to get out when Shag returned with us."

"Spray-painted?" Mr. Jaffe gasped. "Let me take a look!"

Before anyone could respond, Mr. Jaffe rushed over and leading everyone to catch up and follow him.

Sure enough, the "GET OUT" message was still on the windshield as they arrived.

"Whoever did this is going to pay dearly." Mr. Jaffe said through gritted teeth. "Do you kids realize how much it costs to get the paint washed off the windshield?"

"I imagine it'll cost a leg and an arm to do that, Mr. Jaffe." Shaggy said.

"Well, you claimed you saw the Railway Phantom here, Mr. Rogers." Mr. Jaffe said. "He told you to get out?"

"That's right, sir." Shaggy nodded. "He warned me that anyone that crosses into his territory will die."

Mr. Jaffe nodded thoughtfully just as Tinker said, "Did you figure out what was up with the grade crossing signal, Mr. Jaffe? Shag told us that you got off the car here to check the signal box."

"Yes." Mr. Jaffe said. "As I said before, I was checking on the signal box when something hit me from behind. Unfortunately, that occurred as I was beginning to inspect the box, so I didn't figure out what was wrong."

"Could it be that the signal box was defective?" Fred offered.

"Perhaps." Mr. Jaffe nodded just as Velma remembered something.

"Uh oh." She said.

"What is it, Velma?" Fred asked.

"We have to return to the signal box." Velma replied. "I remember looking into the box when we found Mr. Jaffe and I thought I caught a glimpse of something weird."

* * *

Soon, the gang and the driving instructor was back at the signal box, where Velma pointed out what she saw.

"The signal box appears to be missing some parts, Mr. Jaffe." She said.

Mr. Jaffe looked in and sure enough, he didn't remember seeing the signal box being close to empty.

"Oh dear you're right, Miss Dinkley." He said. "One critical switch is missing and it's going to cause trouble to the signalling equipment if it's not replaced!"

"Anyways, sir." Daphne spoke. "Who's this Railway Phantom?"

"Well, he's supposed to be a local legend that developed after a driver was killed at the then-unmarked grade crossing over there back in 1938." The driving instructor said as he gestured towards the nearby grade crossing. "According to legend, the driver swore to get even with the Coolsville Central Railway for being negligent in the design of that grade crossing."

"That may explain why the railway company's business is doing badly lately." Velma remarked. "It's shares and stocks has gone down and I read somewhere that the chairman is considering applying for bankruptcy protection."

"Indeed, young lady." Mr. Jaffe sighed. "Mr. Gorman's going to have another item on his plate, and with the critical switches in the signalling box missing, I have no doubt that this section of the railway will have to be closed to traffic until it could be replaced, because the last thing you want is a railway accident due to a defective signalling system."

Then, under his breath, he added, "That will also mean shutting down operations for a few days and with the company's business not doing so good lately, a few days will be too much."

"That sure sounds like more trouble for the CCR." Fred remarked. "And another mystery to be in our hands, gang."

"Why am I not surprised?" Shaggy sighed.

"So what should we do first?" Daphne asked.

"Well, we're going to have to interview Mr. Gorman first and ask of his business situation lately." Fred decided. "As well as finding out more information on the supposed car accident that took place at the grade crossing in 1938."

"Also, we're going to find out who was responsible for spray-painting the message on my car." Mr. Jaffe added. "Whoever pulled the prank is going to pay dearly to have the paint cleaned off the windshield."

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	5. At the railway company headquarters and the drive

Chapter 5: At the railway company headquarters and the drive

Soon, the gang were at the headquarters of the Coolsville Central Railway in downtown Coolsville, where they met with the company president Harold Gorman, a middle-aged man that appeared to be in his late-fifties with much of the brown hair being chased away by the grey. He was wearing a pair of reading glasses and listened silently as the gang and Mr. Jaffe related what had occurred in the afternoon.

"So Mr. Gorman, we understand that the railway company has been under difficult times lately." Fred said after introducing themselves to the company president.

"That's right." Gorman nodded. "You see, in recent weeks, some strange things have been going on throughout the company's railway network."

"What strange things?" Velma asked.

"Strange things such as the grade crossing warning lights sounding the alarm even though a train isn't a one-minute ride distance away from the crossing." Gorman explained. "And then, the new signals keep acting strange even though it was installed recently."

"Jeepers!" Daphne said. "Has those strange going-ons occurring in a certain area of the network or affecting the network as a whole?"

"So far, all of these strange going-ons have been occurring in the area close to the company's West Coolsville Yards." Gorman replied, gesturing towards a nearby network map as he speak. "However, it just so happens that the main trunk line linking the yard with downtown Coolsville and the Fred Quimby Bridge to Big City goes through West Coolsville, so any signal problems in the area can affect the main trunk line and cause major disruptions to the railway traffic."

Shaggy leaned over to take a closer look at the map. He soon managed to pinpoint the location of the grade crossing where he encountered the Railway Phantom earlier.

"Like, the main trunk line passes through the grade crossing where Mr. Jaffe and I had a close call with the Railway Phantom!" Shaggy said.

"You encountered the Railway Phantom, son?" Mr. Gorman asked. "Oh goodness."

"You know anything about the Railway Phantom, Mr. Gorman?" Velma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do." Mr. Gorman put down his reading glasses. "The Railway Phantom was the ghost of a former Coolsville Central High School student who died at the Central West Road grade crossing in 1933 on a rainy day."

"The grade crossing where the Phantom appeared." Shaggy pointed out.

"That's right." Gorman nodded. "At that time, there was no signalling system at the grade crossing, only a stop sign to warn drivers. The unfortunate student was driving on Central West Road on a rainy evening at the same time a freight train was about to pass through the crossing en route to the bridge to Big City. You know that in that kind of rainy weather during the evening, you can't really see the stop signs."

"Yes." Mr. Jaffe nodded.

"Anyways, the student heard the train whistle and slammed on the brakes, but the pavement was too wet and the car skidded on the pavement before slamming into the locomotive hauling the freight." Gorman continued. "The student died on impact, but legend has it that his ghost continues to haunt the crossing, even after the Coolsville Central Railway installed signalling systems at the crossing."

"Sounds like that former student is seeking revenge against the company for its neglect in setting up a signalling system at the crossing in the first place." Fred remarked.

"Yes, and now I have to figure out what is going on with the signalling equipment." Gorman sighed. "If these strange going-ons keep happening, I'll have to shut down operations in the West Coolsville area, a move that will sure not bore well with our clients and stockholders."

"I agree, sir." Mr. Jaffe nodded. "Shutting down operations for a few days is too much, especially when the company's business isn't doing well lately."

"And you said that some of the crucial switches in the signalling box is missing, did you, Mr. Jaffe?" Gorman added.

"Yes, sir." Mr. Jaffe nodded. "The signalling box station near the Central West Road crossing is missing some crucial switches. Switches that control the signalling system and safety features."

"What will a phantom want with switches crucial for the safety of the railway line?" Shaggy wondered as he rubbed his chin.

"That's the key question, Shaggy." Velma said before turning to Mr. Gorman and added, "Speaking of missing switches, has there been anything else missing from the company's inventory recently, Mr. Gorman?"

Mr. Gorman and Mr. Jaffe looked at each other before they shook their heads.

"Not that any of us are aware of." Gorman responded. "Although some of the night staff at the Coolsville West Yards have been reporting strange going-ons in the yard lately, in addition to the ones I spoke about earlier."

"What kind of strange going-ons, Mr. Gorman?" Fred raised an eyebrow.

"Strange going-ons such as ghostly hollers in the maintenance yard and footsteps coming from places that are always closed and locked up during the night." Gorman said.

"Hmmm..." Velma thought for a while before asking, "Will it be okay if we go check things out at the train yard tonight, Mr. Gorman?"

Mr. Gorman and Mr. Jaffe looked at each other.

"You kids are welcome to help out." Gorman finally spoke. "However, I strongly suggest that you keep a safe distance from the tracks, especially in the dark, and to wear safety vests that will reflect light while in the area."

"Not to mention that you kids are going to need a ride to the train yard." Mr. Jaffe added. "You can't use my car for obvious reasons, none of you have your driver's licenses yet and the nearest bus or streetcar stop from the train yard is a good walking distance away."

There was some thought among the gang before Daphne spoke up, "I believe we can arrange our ride."

* * *

Later that early evening, Daphne's father George was driving the gang to the West Coolsville Yards in his greyish-blue-green SUV.

**(Note: Think about the flashback scene in the old Cartoon Network _Those Meddling Kids Case One: How they got started_ bumper, where Daphne's father drives the gang in his SUV before they got the Mystery Machine)**

"So you kids are going to the West Coolsville Yards to check things out, eh?" George asked the gang with Scooby seated in the front passenger seat while the other four were seated at the back.

"That's right, Mr. Blake." Fred replied. "The president of the Coolsville Central Railway okayed it."

"Harold Gorman." George said. "I know him. He's a brilliant, intelligent man. I felt sorry about him, especially with the trouble facing the railway company lately."

"Like, especially with the strange going-ons and business troubles, Uncle George." Shaggy said. He's the only member of the gang to refer to George as "Uncle George". "Mr. Gorman sure can use some business help."

"Dad, you do own considerable stock in the Coolsville Central Railway and is a major client of the company." Daphne said to her father. "There's got to be something you can do to help Mr. Gorman out."

"I can think of something, dear." George nodded. "I trust the CCR for its honest business ethics and integrity in maintaining safety and quality service. There's also talks lately about the railway company bidding for the ownership of a planned commuter rail line linking Big City with Coolsville, and I don't want those big plans to be derailed by these strings of strange incidents."

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Mr. Blake." Velma said. "We promise."

"Good." George nodded in approval. "It just so happens that I'll be meeting with some top company officials in the main office at the railway yard, so you kids can do your snooping around, provided that you take good care of yourselves and not get yourselves in danger, and when it's over, I'll be able to drive you kids back home."

"We'll take care of ourselves, Mr. Blake." Fred nodded. "We promise, and thanks for the offer."

"No problem." George said. "I do hope that you kids get your driver's licenses and your own vehicle soon, because if your mystery-solving is to become a regular occurrence, then it will be a major inconvenience for us at times where you got a mystery but, for example, I'm out of town with the SUV or the SUV needs to be in the shop."

"Don't worry, Mr. Blake." Velma said. "I'm sure we can arrange to get a vehicle of our own as soon as Shag gets his driver's license."

"And I'm confident that Shag can get his license by June." Daphne added as she placed her hand on Shaggy's right shoulder.

George nodded before seeing the sign directing them to the railway yard.

* * *

**What will the gang encounter while investigating at the West Coolsville Yards? Stay tuned, and please read and review!**


	6. The encounter, a clue and a chase

Chapter 6: The encounter, a clue and a chase

Soon, the gang arrived at the West Coolsville Yards.

The greyish-blue-green SUV pulled up into a parking spot at the parking lot in front of the building adjacent to the railway yards and the gang got off after George shut off the engine.

After George explained to the staff at the yards what the gang is doing, they were given safety vests and a short, brief lecture on safety in the railway yard usually given to new employees working at the yards and students interning at the yards.

Eventually, the gang were on their way to the main yards, with Fred carrying a lantern leading the way while Shaggy and Scooby were wearing helmets equipped with headlamps.

"Be on the lookout for any incoming trains before crossing the tracks and only cross at designated areas." Fred said to the gang as they headed for the maintenance yard. "Last thing we want is an accident."

The others nodded as they followed Fred's lead while Shaggy and Scooby turned on the headlamps on their helmets.

"Guys, what are the helmets for?" Velma asked Shaggy and Scooby as they walked towards the maintenance yard.

"Like, in case we spot the Specter, we can use the lights to blind him immediately." Shaggy replied as he gestured towards the headlamps on the helmets before gesturing towards the lantern Fred was holding and added. "Plus, it's easier for us to run when we're not holding something heavy or bulky like that lantern."

"Reah." Scooby nodded in agreement.

"Interesting." Velma remarked.

Soon, the gang arrived at the maintenance yard, where many of the companies locomotives and freight car fleet were maintained.

Seeing the size of the yard, Fred whistled.

"It will take all night for us to find a clue if we stay and search together in a large place like this." He said. "I think we're going to have to split up, gang. Daph and I will take the south side, while Shag and Velma take the north."

"What about Scooby?" Shaggy asked.

"Stand guard at the entrance." Fred replied before turning to the Great Dane and added, "If you see something, signal us."

"Roaky." Scooby nodded as he mock-saluted Fred before they proceeded to split up.

Unbeknownst to the gang, a pair of ghostly-looking eyes were watching them from the dark shadows casted from a nearby container car.

The figure then growled as it watched the gang split up before making its move and disappeared into the dark shadows.

**(Shaggy and Velma)**

The duo walked down the corridor and looked around in search for a clue.

"Like, what exactly were we supposed to be searching for?" Shaggy asked as he looked around.

"To be honest, I don't really know, Shaggy." Velma answered. "However, if I were you, I'll keep my eyes peeled for anything suspicious, such as missing wires or switches for the signalling system."

"In that case, the way for us to tell that the phantom is nearby is when those signals don't work at all." Shaggy chuckled.

Velma scoffed and rolled her eyes in response to Shaggy's remark as they carried on with the search.

**(Scooby-Doo)**

Meanwhile, Scooby was patrolling the main entrance to the yard as he waited for his friends to return.

During this time, the shadowed figure that watched the gang split up silently moved towards the entrance.

Scooby paused from his patrol when he heard something spooky. A ghostly-sounding holler of sorts.

"Ruh?" Scooby enquired as he paused and looked around.

Outside, he spotted a gust-full of air blowing past an open tiny window in the adjacent building, which caused the spooky-sounding holler he just heard.

"Just re wind." He remarked to himself in relief before resuming his patrol, only to notice a weird-shaping shadow beside him.

"Ruh?" He said. "Ry shadow doesn't rook right."

He turned and looked before spotting his own shadow behind the shadow in question.

"Rhy do I have rwo shadows?" Scooby asked himself.

Just then, the weird-shaping shadow merged with his own shadow to form a monstrous-looking shadow, which then turned towards him and growled just as a ghostly-sounding holler can be heard, this one more pronounced than the previous one.

Spooked out by the holler, Scooby turned towards the source of it and standing right behind him was a ghostly-looking figure dressed in rags with a menacing look on its face.

"Get out!" The figure growled.

"Ripe!" Scooby exclaimed in fright and took off to find Shaggy and Velma before the figure could catch him.

**(Shaggy and Velma)**

In that same time, the duo continued with the search but came empty-handed.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Velma threw her arms up. "I hope Freddie and Daphne are having a better luck than us."

Before Shaggy could respond, they heard running coming from behind.

"Like, do you hear running, Velma?" Shaggy asked.

"Yes, and it sounds like it's coming towards us!" Velma nodded, but before she could continue, Scooby suddenly leaped into Shaggy's arms, causing the teenager to fell to the floor with the Great Dane on him.

"What seemed to be the matter, Scoob?" Shaggy asked. "You looked like you've seen something."

"Re huh." Scooby nodded. "Ri saw re ghost!"

"A ghost?" Velma asked. "You mean that Railway Phantom?"

"Ri rink so." Scooby replied as he shivered.

"Like, where?" Shaggy asked.

Scooby pointed towards where he came from as he replied, "Re main entrance."

"Come on!" Velma said as Scooby helped Shaggy up. "He may have left behind a clue."

* * *

A short while later, the trio were back at the main entrance to the maintenance yard.

"I don't see any sign of the Phantom, Scoob." Shaggy said after looking around.

"Well, re was here re minute rago." Scooby replied.

Just then, Velma spotted something on the floor.

"Hey guys, what's this?" She asked as she leaned over to pick up the object.

"Looks like some sort of a cloth to me." Shaggy observed as Velma took a closer look at it.

"You're right, Shaggy." Velma nodded. "It's a cloth indeed, except that there's something not right about it."

"Like, it looks new, right?" Shaggy said.

"Not quite, but you're right." Velma replied. "This cloth looked like it was produced as recently as two years ago."

"Well, what do you suppose a ghost that is supposed to be that of someone who died in the 1930s be doing with a two-year old cloth?" Shaggy asked.

"Exactly." Velma said. "This cloth meant that our Railway Phantom is more than just a ghost."

"Like, you mean the Railway Phantom has a taste for modern-day fashion?" Shaggy asked.

"No, silly." Velma replied. "I meant that our clue indicates that there's someone is using the legend to cover something up."

"Of course, I know what you meant, Velma." Shaggy replied with a chuckle. "I always know that."

Velma rolled her eyes in response before Shaggy added, "But either way, now the question is, what is that 'someone' up to?"

"Precisely." Velma nodded in agreement.

* * *

Soon, the gang regrouped as Fred and Daphne reported that they didn't spot anything of interest.

"So other than Scooby encountering the Phantom and the cloth, you guys didn't find anything suspicious." Fred said.

"That's right." Velma nodded. "It could help if we can find another clue."

As Velma was speaking, Shaggy looked around and noticed something.

"Say, I don't remember seeing that door being opened when we were here a few minutes ago." He said, pointing towards the door as he spoke.

"Do you think we may be able to find something in that office?" Daphne asked Fred.

"There's only one way to find out." Fred replied as they made their way to the door Shaggy was pointing at.

* * *

The door led them to a set of stairs, and after climbing the stairs, they found themselves in a control room with large windows overseeing the maintenance yard.

"Hey, this is the main control room that controls the track switches and the signalling system." Velma said as they switched on the lights.

"Why isn't there anyone here?" Daphne asked. "I thought that the control room should be manned 24/7."

"This isn't the only control room in the entire yard." Velma replied. "There's another major control centre in the main building and this one is only for the maintenance yard itself."

"How did you know all of this?" Fred asked.

"My father had a friend that used to work here before being transferred to Los Angeles last month." Velma explained as she turned to him. "He showed us around when my dad and I visited him at work before the end of the winter break."

"Like, guys, I think we've got company." Shaggy suddenly spoke. He and Scooby had wondered around the large room during the conversation when they saw another opened door leading to a small room.

"What is it, Shag?" Fred asked as they joined the duo.

"Shhh." Shaggy whispered as he pointed into the small room behind the opened door.

The gang peeked in and looked. The ghostly-figure Shaggy and Scooby had saw earlier was in the office room and appearing to be searching for something.

"Jinkies!" Velma whispered. "It's him!"

"The Railway Phantom!" Fred added. "He seemed to be searching for something."

"Not searching for something." Velma corrected him as she looked on. "He's sabotaging the office!"

Sure enough. The Phantom found several wires in the office wall behind a panel hidden behind a bookshelf he had just removed and torn them out.

"Jeepers!" Daphne said as she noticed the lights on the controls going out. "The track and signal controls are out!"

"That will mean that the signalling system is down and the yard won't be safe for the trains to go through." Fred said. "We've got to stop him!"

Just then, Scooby inhaled some dust, causing his nose to feel uncomfortable with the urge to sneeze.

Shaggy, fearing that the upcoming sneeze will alert the Phantom to their presence, moved quickly to use his finger to cover Scooby's nose and the Great Dane calmed down.

Sighing in relief, Shaggy removed his finger, but then, Scooby's nose started to get cranky again.

Before he could cover Scooby's nose, the Great Dane sneezed.

The Phantom, hearing the sneeze, stopped what he was doing and turned and looked.

"Hmmm..." He remarked. "Someone's here!"

He walked towards the door and spotted the gang before they could make their move.

"Aha!" He hollered. "Spying on me, eh?"

Horrified by the Phantom's appearance, Shaggy, with Scooby on his arms, shouted, "Like, let's get out of here!"

"You won't get away from me!" The Phantom growled menacingly. "Nobody escapes from the Railway Phantom alive when they trespasses on his territory!"

"Gangway!" Shaggy exclaimed as the gang took off before the Phantom could grab them.

As the gang reached for the stairs, the Phantom gives chase as he hollered, "You will never escape! Come back here!"

The gang ignored him as they raced down the stairs and ended up back in the maintenance yard.

The Phantom chased the gang around the yard, racing back and forth between various freight cars.

Eventually, the Phantom reached a rusty passenger car (In poor condition and to be scrapped) coupled to a handcar in the back and found that the gang is nowhere in sight.

Before he could inquire where the gang went, a train conductor walked to him and said, "Excuse me, sir. Where is your ticket?"

The Phantom turned and saw the conductor with his hand out, unaware that the man is actually Shaggy in disguise, complete with the uniform and a mustache.

"Me?" The Phantom asked as he pointed at himself.

"That's right, sir." The conductor said firmly. "You need your ticket when you exit a train so the staff will know that you had paid your fare."

Before the Phantom could respond, the conductor continued, "You're holding up the train, sir. Time to depart!"

With that, he pushed the Phantom into the passenger car through the open door.

Then, a luggage handler (Scooby in disguise) tossed a heavy trunk to the Phantom as the conductor added, "Don't forget your luggage, sir."

After that, he shut the door before he and Scooby leaped on the handcar to power the car, propelling it down the tracks towards a hand switch where Fred and the girls were waiting.

Seeing the passenger car approaching, Fred and the girls made the switch, directing the passenger car onto an abandoned section of track that lead down a hill and into a condemned tool shed where the tracks end.

As the passenger car sped down the tracks and the Phantom struggling to get off, Shaggy and Scooby detached the handcar from the passenger car and hit the brakes before joining the others in watching the car crashing into the condemned structure.

"Let's get out of here before that Phantom catches us." Shaggy suggested.

"Sure." Fred nodded. "Let's go find Mr. Blake."

Emerging from the wreckage, the Phantom growled as he got some garbage off himself. Looking up, he saw the gang being nowhere in sight before he disappeared into the nearby dark shadows.

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	7. The newspaper clip and the chase

Chapter 7: The newspaper clip and the chase

A short while later, the gang were back at the entrance to the main administrative building where Mr. Blake was still in his meeting.

"It sure is a good thing we've lost this Phantom, gang." Fred remarked as they meet up and catch their breaths.

"Yeah, except that we're nowhere close to solving this mystery." Velma said.

"What does a phantom who was supposed to be reminding the railway company the importance of safety be sabotaging the control systems in the yard?" Daphne asked. "Not to mention what does a phantom need with stolen switches?"

Everyone else nodded in agreement with Daphne's questioning, but other than that, they were quite baffled by the mystery itself.

"I guess we should just head inside the building and wait for Mr. Blake, gang." Fred suggested.

"Like, good idea, Fred." Shaggy nodded before they made their way into the building.

As they reached the reception desk to wait for Daphne's father to finish his meeting, Shaggy and Scooby looked around and noticed the company announcements bulletin.

Leaning over to look at the bulletin, Shaggy noticed a newspaper clipping and scanned through the news article before raising an eyebrow.

"Hey gang, take a look at this!" Shaggy said as he gestured towards the newspaper clipping.

Velma leaned over to read as everyone looked on.

"CITY HIT BY COPPER THEFT RING

Police investigating after a near-miss at West Coolsville Yards was attributed to the theft of a critical switch in brand-new signalling system"

"Jeepers!" Daphne remarked. "That's similar to the theft Mr. Jaffe was checking on this afternoon."

"And that's not all." Velma said as she continued reading. "It says here that the thefts came as the railway company recently fired a signal technician for suspicion of being involved in a money-laundering racket."

"Hmmm..." Fred thought for a while. "I've got a feeling we may have reached the bottom of this, gang."

"Right." Velma nodded in agreement. "Now what we've got to do is catch the Phantom."

"But how do you suppose we can catch this Phantom?" Shaggy asked. "You know, this yard is so huge it would take the whole night for us to find him."

"Reah." Scooby agreed.

It was then that Fred and the girls gave them weird, creeping-looking looks.

Seeing Daphne's face expression, Shaggy and Scooby both swallowed.

"Was it something I just said?" Shaggy asked nervously.

* * *

A short while later, Shaggy and Scooby were donning uniforms and armed with a tool kit, along with their helmets with headlamps.

"I just have to open my big, stupid mouth." Shaggy remarked.

"You and Scooby all set, Shaggy?" Fred asked.

"Like, what's the plan again, Fred?" Shaggy asked.

"It's simple, Shaggy." Velma sighed as she explains the plan one more time. "You and Scooby pose as signal technicians and go work on a signalling device. Then, the Phantom will spot you, as he did when Mr. Jaffe went to check on the signal box earlier this afternoon."

"Then, when he tries to grab you guys, you'll run to the maintenance yard." Fred continued as he pointed towards the yard in question. "Where the girls and I will be waiting with our trap."

"Oh boy." Shaggy remarked. "I don't like the sound of this."

"Re neither." Scooby agreed. "Rin fact, Ri don't reel like roing ris."

"Come on, Scooby." Shaggy said. "I know this may be something silly for us to do, but if we do this, I can be back in my cozy bed soon."

"Ruh uh." Scooby shook his head. "Ri'm not roing ris."

At that moment, Shaggy thought of something as he pulled something out from his pocket.

"What's that, Shaggy?" Velma asked when she saw the small package Shaggy pulled out from his pocket.

"Like, it's a bag of Scooby's favourite treats." Shaggy explained before turning to Scooby and added, "Will you do this for a bag of Scooby Snacks, Scoob?"

"Scooby Snacks?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mags and I just call them 'Scooby Snacks', Fred." Shaggy shrugged. "It just kind of stuck."

"Scooby Snacks?" Scooby asked. "Rokay."

"Perfect." Velma smiled as Shaggy opened the package and tossed the snacks into Scooby's mouth.

Scooby chewed and swallowed before barking, "Let's roll!"

* * *

A short while later, Shaggy and Scooby came upon a broken-down signal light at a siding.

"Looks like this signal's bulbs need to be replaced, Scoob." Shaggy observed after taking a look at the signal light in question. "Screwdriver."

Scooby nodded as he passed the screwdriver to Shaggy's waiting hand, who proceeded to disassemble the signal lights.

"Light bulb." Shaggy then said, and Scooby passed the light bulb to him.

During this time, the Phantom emerged from the shadows and floated his way to the duo, growling.

Hearing the growl, Scooby swallowed nervously as he turned and saw the Phantom approaching them.

"Uh...Raggy?" Scooby tapped Shaggy's shoulder as the Phantom approaches them.

"Not now, Scoob." Shaggy said. "I'm having some trouble getting this light bulb installed."

"Raggy, rantom!" Scooby barked as he tugged Shaggy's safety vest.

Shaggy didn't respond as he carried on with his work. Finally, he said, "Screwdriver, Scoob."

At that moment, Scooby has already took off running while the Phantom stood behind Shaggy growling.

"Screwdriver, Scoob." Shaggy repeated as he reached his hand back and the Phantom handed him the screwdriver.

"Thanks, Scoob." Shaggy said as he took the screw, only for the Phantom to growl.

"Uh...there's no need to growl like that, Scooby." Shaggy said as he used the screwdriver, only to find no response from his friend. "Uh, Scooby?"

Having had finished the job at the moment, Shaggy turned and saw that Scooby was nowhere to be seen while the growling continued.

"Scooby-Doo, where are you?" Shaggy asked before hearing the growling and turned and found himself face to face with the Phantom.

The Phantom growled as Shaggy laughed nervously.

"Like, take this!" He quickly tossed the Phantom the screwdriver before taking off running, while the Phantom looked at the tool confusingly.

The Phantom then tossed the screwdriver aside and took off after him.

"Gangway!" Shaggy shouted as he caught up with Scooby.

The Phantom chased them into the maintenance yard, where Fred and the girls were waiting with the trap.

Looking through the binoculars while stationed on top of an parked freight car, Fred saw them approaching.

"Here they come, girls." He said to Daphne and Velma.

"We're all set, Freddie." Velma nodded.

"Let me get a look, Fred." Daphne said as she asked Fred to pass her the binoculars. "Just to make sure that we don't end up catching Shag and Scooby by mistake while the Phantom is far behind."

"Sure, Daph." Fred nodded as he passed Daphne the binoculars.

However, as she took the binoculars, Daphne accidentally lost her balance and slipped.

"Daphne, look out!" Velma shouted, but it was too late.

Daphne fell off the freight car and landed right on the wooden see-saw that was part of the trap, causing her to activate the trap and the net that was meant for the Phantom was fired towards Fred.

Fred didn't have time to duck, and he ended up getting caught in the net, much to Daphne and Velma's shock as the former heard his "Gah!" as he got caught in the net.

"This clearly wasn't supposed to happen." Daphne said from below.

"Danger-Prone-Daphne did it again." Velma sighed as she looked at Fred.

"Sometimes, I feel like a slice of ham." Fred grumbled. "Mind if you girls help me get out of this net?"

Before Daphne could climb back onto the car, Shaggy and Scooby have reached the car with the Phantom behind them.

"Like, what happened?" Shaggy asked as he looked up to Velma, who was trying to help Fred get free.

"We had an accident, Shaggy." Velma replied. "You guys are going to have to fend for yourselves while we get Fred free."

Before Shaggy and Scooby could respond, the growl from the Phantom reminded them to carry on running.

"Like, it looks like it's up to us, Scoob." Shaggy said to Scooby. "Gangway!"

The Phantom hollered as he continued to chase the duo while Velma and Daphne struggled to get Fred out of the net.

However, the struggling with the net ended with Velma and Daphne tangled up in the net with Fred.

"Great." Velma sighed. "Now what?"

"We've got to get help." Fred said as they rolled off the freight car, but Fred managed to break their fall by grabbing onto a handle on the side of the car and allowing them to land on the floor on their feet and standing up.

At that moment, Shaggy and Scooby were racing down that corridor with the Phantom close behind.

"Shag! Scooby!" Velma shouted. "We're having trouble with the net!"

"Can you guys get us out?" Daphne asked.

"Like, Scoob and I are having trouble losing that Phantom!" Shaggy shouted back as they raced towards them. "But we can maybe carry you guys and get out of here!"

Before Fred or the girls could respond, Shaggy and Scooby swiftly swooped over to pick their friends up and took off with the Phantom behind.

The chase soon brought them outside the maintenance yard and then Shaggy and Scooby stopped under a tree to catch their breaths after they were sure they had lost the Phantom.

"I think we've lost him." Fred said as they looked around.

Just then, Velma saw something and exclaimed, "Jinkies! I don't think so!"

The gang turned and looked. The Phantom was coming after them and driving a golf cart and laughing evilly.

"You kids cannot escape!" The Phantom hollered as he sped towards them.

Looking around, Shaggy saw a van parked nearby and got an idea.

"Like, I think we've got a ride waiting for us, gang." Shaggy said. "Come on!"

Without hesitation, he and Scooby picked up their friends and raced to the van, where Shaggy saw that the key was still in the ignition switch.

"Someone must've been in a hurry and left that key in the switch." Daphne remarked when she saw the key. "But what matters now is getting away from that Phantom."

"Shag, do you think you can drive us out of here?" Fred asked, eying the fact that Shaggy is seated on the driver's seat.

"Like, we're about to find out." Shaggy said as he quickly buckled up, adjusted the seat and mirrors and started the van before adding, "Scoob, try freeing Fred and the girls from the net, will you?"

"Rokay." Scooby mock-saluted before getting a claw ready and prepared to work on the net to free Fred and the girls.

"Hang tight, gang!" Shaggy said as he shifted the van into drive and slammed on the gas pedal, causing the van to take off with the golf cart close behind.

Scooby wasted no time getting Fred and the girls free and they were able to move once again.

"Thanks, Scooby." Daphne said as she was freed.

"Ro problem." Scooby nodded and smiled as Fred and Velma took a look at the back of the van.

"It looks like we're on a maintenance van, guys." Fred remarked. "The back has a lot of tools and some paint cans."

"And that Phantom is still behind us!" Velma added as she looked through the windows on the rear doors and saw the golf cart gaining on them.

Just then, Scooby got an idea when he saw one of the paint cans.

"Ri've got ran idea." He said.

"What is it, Scooby?" Daphne asked.

Scooby responded by holding a can of paint and grinned as his tail pointed towards the golf cart chasing them.

Seeing what Scooby meant, Fred nodded. "Good idea, Scooby!"

"Shag, slow the van down." Daphne said. "Scooby's got an idea."

"I can see that." Shaggy nodded, noting the fact that Scooby is holding a paint can from the rear mirror.

The Phantom grinned as he watched the van's rear doors open, but an eyebrow was raised when he saw Scooby grinning and holding what appeared to be a can.

Before the Phantom could enquire, Scooby suddenly launched something wet from the can and that something landed and covered the golf cart's windshield.

As it turned out, that substance in question is black paint and it completely blocked the Phantom's eye sight.

As the Phantom struggles to see what's ahead of the golf cart, he didn't realize that the van he was pursuing had made a turn and a small wooden shed was approaching.

At the van, the gang looked towards the front as they heard a crash coming from behind before Shaggy made a U-turn and drove towards the shed they managed to lure the Phantom to.

Soon, the van came to a stop and as they got off the van, they saw the Phantom trapped in the debris as a result of the crash.

"Way to go, gang!" Fred said. "We've captured the Phantom!"

"And that was some brilliant driving, Shag." Daphne added and smiled, "As well as some quick thinking for Scooby."

"Like, it was nothing, guys." Shaggy smiled back. "Just putting my driving practice into full use."

"Something tells me you're ready to get your driver's license, Shaggy." Velma said before Fred and Daphne went over to the main administrative building.

* * *

**One more chapter to go, folks! Please read and review!**


	8. The unmasking, the test and enter the Mystery Machine

Chapter 8: The unmasking, the test and enter the Mystery Machine

A short while later, the police were at the scene with the handcuffed Phantom while Mr. Gorman, Mr. Blake and Mr. Jaffe and the gang looked on.

"So this is the Phantom that was haunting the area near the West Coolsville Yards, huh?" One of the officers asked.

"That's him alright, Officer." Fred nodded. "Except that he's not really a phantom."

"Who is he, then?" Mr. Gorman asked, and Fred and Velma proceeded to unmask the Phantom.

"The Phantom is really..." Fred was saying before he and Velma pulled the mask off, revealing an unfamiliar-looking face.

A face that was only recognizable to Mr. Gorman and Mr. Jaffe.

"Why, I know that man." Mr. Jaffe exclaimed. "He's James Sessions, a signal technician that used to work with me before Mr. Gorman fired him after he was suspected of being involved in a money-laundering racket months ago."

"Yes, I did." Mr. Gorman nodded. "While the police didn't find enough solid evidence to have Mr. Sessions charged for money-laundering and fraud, I had him fired, since having an employee involved in unethical and illegal activities will tarnish the hard-working and ethical reputation the company has worked very hard in building up."

"Seems like he was seeking revenge on you for firing him, Mr. Gorman." Velma remarked. "Mr. Sessions, who had lots of experience working with signalling equipment and installing new signalling systems, figured that the easiest way was to sabotage the signalling system."

"Besides, most of those switches in the system are made of copper, which can be very valuable when sold in the black market." Fred added.

"During his time working at the railway company, there's no doubt that he had learned about the legend of the Railway Phantom and decided to come up with that ghostly disguise to cover up the theft of those switches in the signalling equipment." Daphne theorizes.

"Like, he sure did a great job spooking anyone who could get suspicious of what he was up to and with no eyes peeking around, he could carry on with his sabotage of the railway equipment and ruin the company." Shaggy added.

"Anyways, our first clue was discovered after the Phantom scared Scooby away while we were in the freight car maintenance yard." Fred said.

"Yes." Velma nodded as she pulled out the cloth. "We discovered a cloth that was near where the Phantom was hiding and sneaked up to Scooby, and my observations of the cloth indicated that it was made of a fiber that was only produced as recently as two years ago."

"And you know that it's irrational that a ghost of someone who died in the 1930s will be wearing a two-year old cloth." Daphne stated. "If the ghost were to be real, it would be wearing the cloth it was wearing when it died."

"Anyways, it was that first clue that made us determine that the Railway Phantom isn't real." Fred said. "Then, afterwards, we discovered a newspaper clipping that had a headline reporting a copper theft ring a few months ago."

"That news article related to the headline indicated that the string of copper thefts came around the time the CCR fired a signals technician for suspicion of being involved in a money-laundering racket." Shaggy said. "And it was that news article that gave us the picture that someone may be using the Railway Phantom disguise to get even with the company."

"One question." Mr. Blake said. "Why did he attack Mr. Jaffe and then left in the middle of his work while Mr. Jaffe was checking on the signalling equipment earlier without, for the sake of argument, made him disappear?"

"Well, he did try to grab me while I was checking the equipment box." Mr. Jaffe said. "But just as he knocked me out, we heard a train horn not far away, and aware that he can't have any witnesses to what he has done, he must've left me at where you kids had found me and then spray-painted my car."

"We did discover an abandoned spray can a few yards away from the scene." One of the officers interjected. "Forensics are checking for fingerprints on the can and if they find traces of makeup powder, then Mr. Sessions will be formally charged with vandalism."

Mr. Sessions grumbled in frustration and didn't say a word.

"Well, Mr. Sessions, it looks like your attempt to get even with the Coolsville Central Railway and sabotage its safety and reputation has failed." Mr. Gorman commented. "If you think that Mr. Jaffe and I should've minded our own businesses back then and felt that the company deserved the drop in its reputation for doing the right thing, then you ought to think about reforming yourself while in prison."

* * *

_May 30, 1969_

Almost two weeks after the case, Shaggy had completed his driver's training course and was off for the driving test at the local Department of Public Works office in uptown Coolsville.

The gang waited anxiously with Sugie in the waiting room of the office while Shaggy was away for his driving test.

"Boy, I sure hope Shag's driving test goes smoothly." Daphne remarked as she watched Sugie paced back and forth anxiously.

"I hope so too." Sugie nodded. "Norville has spent almost every weekend practicing driving with Dad, so it will be a big upset if he didn't pass the test."

"Don't worry, guys." Fred said reassuringly. "I'm sure Shaggy can keep himself together during the test."

It was then that they saw the green car Shaggy got on with the Department's driving instructor fifteen minutes earlier pulled up into the lot, then the lights went out and the gang looked on anxiously as they watched Shaggy glancing at the instructor, who was writing something on a pad.

After that, they watched the duo got off the car and headed back into the building with the instructor leading the way.

Fred was about to say something to Shaggy and ask him about the test, but Shaggy was quick in following the instructor into the single-storey office building so he decided to simply wait until his friend emerges from the office.

The next several minutes felt like a century was going by for the gang as they waited anxiously for Shaggy to exit the building.

Eventually, Shaggy finally made his way out of the building with the usual goofy-looking grin on his face.

"So...did you pass, Shag?" Velma asked as Shaggy joined them.

Shaggy responded by pulling a sheet of paper out from his pocket and revealed it to his friends and Sugie.

It was a temporary driver's license with his personal information and signature on it, along with an expiry date.

"Congratulations, Shag!" Daphne exclaimed when she noted the issued date of the temporary license was May 30. "You've got your driver's license!"

"Way to go, Shag!" Fred patted his friend's back. "You did it!"

"I knew that you would get your license, Norville." Sugie smiled as she playfully punched her brother.

"Now you sure can drive us around whenever Mr. Blake isn't available, Shaggy." Velma said as they made their way to the nearby streetcar stop.

"Yeah, except that we still are going to need our own rides, gang." Daphne suggested. "Because we surely can't rely on Dad's SUV all the time when we drive around."

"You've got a point, Daph." Fred said. "If we're really going to be driving around and, perhaps, be snooping around to offer help, we're going to need our own rides."

"Question now is, how are we going to get our own rides?" Shaggy asked as he rubbed his chin just as the streetcar heading for the western suburbs approached the stop.

* * *

_June 2, 1969_

That Monday, many of the gang's friends congratulated Shaggy upon learning that he had obtained his driver's license.

"Congrats, Shag!" Eric said to him before lunch as they met up at the cafeteria entrance.

"You sure did it!" Tinker added. "Maybe you can drive us around someday."

During the day, Fred met up with the _Mysteries Five_ and the band confided him on some news that will solve the transportation problem.

That after afternoon, the gang met up with the _Mysteries Five_ and they showed them the surprise.

"So what's this surprise about, guys?" Velma asked as they followed the _Mysteries Five_ gang.

"You guys will soon find out." Kelly replied as Ronnie led the way.

Eventually, the gang were led to a plain light-green panel van that was parked on the driveway in front of the garage of W.W. and Linda's home.

"Mystery Inc., meet your new ride!" Ronnie announced as he gestured towards the panel van.

Mystery Inc. all blinked.

"And this is...?" Fred asked.

"Our old tour panel van." W.W. explained. "A 1964 Shulmanmobile Sportvan."

"Formerly known to us as the 'Mysteries Five Sportsvan'." Ronnie added.

"Ah, I read about the cars and vans produced by Shulmanmobile." Shaggy said. "They've got excellent gas mileage and their maintenance manuals are quite straight forward on how to repair the engines."

"Anyways, why did you guys bring us here?" Velma asked. "Well, unless you're giving us your..."

"That's right." Mike nodded. "You see, we've been using this panel van for quite a while for our band tours and mystery-solving, but it has become quite worn out from our duel activities."

"Then, last week, Linda took part in a contest and won a new van." W.W. added. "A new van that suits our needs better but leaves us with an extra vehicle that we weren't quite sure what to do with."

"That is, until Fred told me about Shag receiving his drivers license and your need for your own ride." Ronnie said.

"So you're giving your old Shulmanmobile Sportvan to us?" Daphne asked.

"That's right." Kelly nodded. "We figured that you guys, with your hanging-around, may need your own ride to get around."

The gang looked at each other, flabbergasted by the offer of the van from _Mysteries Five_.

"Why, we'll take the van." Fred finally said. "How much will it cost?"

"Oh, you don't need to pay." Ronnie waved his hand dismissively. "What we will like is Shaggy giving us all a ride with him driving the Sportsvan."

"Yeah." Kelly nodded. "We heard that he's an excellent driver, but we want to see that for ourselves."

All eyes were on Shaggy, who was silent for a minute before nodding, and W.W. tossed him the keys to the Sportsvan.

"Say, before we go, I think we've ought to give a name to the Sportsvan." Shaggy suggested.

"Reah." Scooby nodded in agreement.

"Oh, yes, right." Fred snapped his fingers. "So what do you guys suggest?"

The gang looked at each other.

"Well...What about the 'Teenage Drive'?" Daphne suggested.

"Doesn't sound right to me." Linda shook her head.

"Well, you guys are Mystery Inc., so you guys should name your van after your team name." Mike said.

"Like, you mean, the Mystery Van?" Shaggy asked.

"Rou mean, re "Rystery Machine'." Scooby corrected.

"Mystery Machine..." Fred thought for a while. "Say, I like the name."

"Me too." Velma nodded.

"Works with me." Daphne agreed.

"Same here." Shaggy nodded before patting Scooby and added. "Atta boy, Scooby."

"Raw...rit's nothing." Scooby said, smiling and blushing from the praise.

There were some laughs from the gang before they hopped onto the newly-named Mystery Machine.

* * *

_Summer of 1969_

The school year was over and the gang enjoyed themselves during the two-month summer break. They will get together in the Mystery Machine and drive around, going to beaches.

In that same time period, Shaggy discovered the place that will eventually become their regular hangout - The Malt Shop.

The diner in question served good food and snacks at reasonable prices, and the owner came to welcome Shaggy and Scooby's large appetites, though he did caution them against them causing the diner to run out of food or pigging out.

Eventually, the new school year starts on Tuesday, September 2, and by that point, the gang were now juniors in Coolsville Central High School.

A week later, on Friday, September 12, Shaggy and Scooby went to see the theatrical premiere of the new movie _Star: Dog Ranger of the North Woods_.

After staying rather late at the movies due to Scooby's insistence on watching that movie twice, the duo were on their way home through the park when they came upon an abandoned converter with an empty old suit of armour in the driver's seat, and...well, that's for another story.

* * *

**And so, this is how the franchise premiere SDWAY's _What a Night for a Knight!_ began with Professor Hyde White's disappearance and Shaggy and Scooby discovering his abandoned pickup while walking home from the movies.**

**You may have noticed that in that last sentence, I used converter rather than pickup. That's because it's part of my attempt to fix some of the inconsistencies or oddities seen in the episode in question.**

**For more information, stay tuned for _D4 SDWAY: What a Night for a Knight!_**

**Please read and review!**


End file.
